<nettime> Netbase and the Austrian Kulturkampf - update

[Konrad Becker <konrad@t0.or.at>]

Dear Nettimers,
I have been asked to give an update of whats going on with the Netbase
kulturkampf...
In my last mails I tried to convey a feeling for the political climate in
this country.... things have not developed to the better, on the contrary.

The Netbase saga continues: for the third (!) time now the ersatz funding
from the City of Vienna was blocked by the Christian Democrats- they are
aware of the fact that if we do not get the promised funding, the board of
Public Netbase will go to jail for already having spent the money that is
now withdrawn by them. We still hope for the Mayor of Vienna who promised to
get us out of this situation before the end of the year.
Curiously enough, having received the highest award for fine art of the City
of Vienna for the Year 2000. There is speculation in the press if the
conservative Senator for Culture has to visit Public Netbase in prison to
hand over the award on 5th of December. 

Despite this very awkward situation we decided to go on with the
preparations for World-Information.Org in Vienna. (opening on the 23 of
November - on show until December 24th http://world-information.org (if we
would have cannceled it now we would have had to also pay back EU funding
(~200k EURO))
B

re: the campaign
we are now at "not quite" 1000 signatories- we would really ask you to make
an effort to get the word around: we do need more supporters for the Open
Letter! 
(check out the impressive list of individuals/institutions that have signed
allready at http://free.netbase.org )

We would like to do a broad mailing of the document+ signatories before the
opening of World-Information Exhibition on the 23. November and relaunch a
press offensive.

Please do support us in this effort!

There was quite some e-mail exchange on possibilities for the infamous
"internet generation" (quote: Mr. SchueSSel) to react to the rise of the
extrem right in Europe-
Please feel free to contact us and to join the ongoing cc: conversation.
It was suggested to arrange an IRC meeting to discuss possible options in
the next weeks. This will be announced in time.

Yesterday, a small group from Netbase got into the Austrian Parliament to
present the "Open Letter" to the first politician, State Secretary for the
Arts Franz Morak.
Like a criminal on the run, he was hysterically trying to escape, hideing
behind his "bodyguards" . (fotographic documentation coming up at
http://free.netbase.org)

Historical revisionism Austrian style: Primeminister Schuessel just recently
claimed in an interview with the "Jerusalem Post" that Austria was only a
victim of Nazi aggression... 

best, ~>Konrad + the Netbase Crew


PS:
The Jury of the "Austrian Web Resistance Award" will meet at Netbase next
week to decide on the winners, 3 projects of cultural electronic resistance
in Austria. 
This award was made possible thanks to the "Institute of Applied Autonomy".
True to the subversive nature of the IAA, they transferred the Ars
Electronica Nica Award during the live-TV gala in September to Public
Netbase as a symbolic (and monetary) gesture of support for the Austrian
dissidence. 



Public Netbase     http://www.t0.or.at
Institute for New Culture Technologies
Museumsplatz 1, Vienna A-1070  Austria 


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